Ueli Steck’s triple speed climbing record

No further comments. The guy is just amazing

IceTrip Scotland – Looking for Nessie – Petzl Video

Saw a nice video from Petzl. Featuring an opening scene of Petzl’s Nomic ice axe as Nessie and a “Braveheart” style amphibious landing… The film is shot in Scotland featuring mixed climbing in Ben Nevis Among other spots. Nice one Petzl!

Directed By Guillaume Broust

Featuring:

John Croxford, Ueli Steck, Tony Lamiche, Erwan Lelann, Martial Dumas, Yann Mimet, Aljaz Anderle, Mathieu Majnadier, Loic Tonnot, Andy Turner, Alan Hinkes, Philip Dowthwate, Nigel Hooker, Allan McKenzy, Tim Neill

…for a thing that can’t be proven to anybody

The Eiger - North_face (Photo: Wikipedia)

Morning routine today… I walk up this morning (sounds like a verse from a blues song…), made my cup coffee and started to browse the morning news on the internet, Facebook and Twitter… Following link by link I came up to a video on YouTube. Having planned for a tight schedule today I was thinking if I had a few moments to see that. …I had …I clicked …and …I became hooked! I cannot put out of my mind the images, the story, the feelings. …intense feelings. I am talking about Joe Simpson’s – “The Beckoning Silence” (Winner of 2008 EMMY Documentary Award). I haven’t seen that 2007 film (TV). As you understand my schedule was destroyed and I have massive amounts of work in front of my face with so little time to do them. But!!! Instead of working like hell… I am writing about it!!!

In the film there are two stories. The one of Joe Simpson’s and the one of Toni Kurz, the leader of the second expedition to try climb the north face of Eiger.  Simpson had a serious accident in previous years. The storyteller gives the conditions and feelings of the accident through the narration of the story for the second attempt ever to climb the north face of the Eiger… the iconic Swiss mountain.

The film is in 8 parts of 9 mins approx in YouTube

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

I hope that you will feel this film too. Enjoy

Black Diamond Spire Elliptic Approach Poles

BD Spire Elliptic

I consider Trekking Poles as the second most important piece of equipment, after a good pair of  shoes / boots, for mountain hiking and climbing (for the approach phase).  I remember my first trekking poles back in the era of 1980′s.  They were something like cheap skiing poles cut in the middle, with plastic screw-in connectors, totally uncomfortable plastic grips and cheap leather straps. Ha Ha Ha!! I still have them so I promise to post a photo here in order to share the laugh. Back then, when we met other people on the mountains we were stared at each other in contempt… “what are they doing with the sticks…. can’t they walk straight?”, and many other dismissive comments like this. But things have changed and now you see more people using poles than the ones not using poles. The advantages are many.

Trekking poles offer a lot of service to the walker. They relieve the weight from the knees, transferring the load to the upper body,  they provide stability in descents and tricky points in the trail and according to my belief they help maintain the pace while walking. Nowadays, they are also used for pitching lightweight tents and in emergencies they can provide with a frame for a light stretcher along with the means to immobilize a broken limb. In general, I can verify that by using poles I can cover more distance and cope with difficult alpine terrain with decreased fatigue.

Since this Autumn, I have replaced my previous poles with Black Diamond’s Spire Elliptic. I can say that I am very satisfied with these poles which I have used also in winter conditions.

Web Site Information

The Spire Elliptic gives unrelenting support on technical climbs and descents.

• Dual-density grip top, foam grip, non-slip foam extension and Nubuck strap
• 15-degree corrective angle
• Elliptic FlickLock® upper and Auto-Lock Binary™ lower adjustment
• Non-rotating shape for ergonomic comfort and strength
• Short Flex Tips and low-profile Trekking Baskets

Series : Approach Series

Weight Per Pair : 572 g, 1 lb 4 oz

Usable Length : 105–140 cm, 41–55 in

Collapsed Length : 68.5 cm, 27 in

On the Trail…

The grips have performed nicely. I very much like the non-slip foam extension as you can adjust your grip while traversing slopes, without adjusting the Flick Lock, and also to take a small climb while overall descending. I believe that the grips are very versatile and of very good quality foam. My hands rest nicely on the hand grips and the beefy stoppers at the end support the hand greatly.  However, I have found that with my leather gloves on, I cannot fit as snugly as without them. This could be a minor issue for  average user because my hands size is very large (i wear XL to XXL depending on the fit if the gloves, or size 11). The strap performs OK and it breathing ability is nice.

The 15 Degree tilt of the grips have helped me to transfer more torque, especially on the uphill. This is a very strong point of these poles. However, I could guess that this is a “Love it, or hate it” feature. It takes a bit to get used to it, but after that you’ll be happier.

The elliptic shape of the aluminium tubes offers great rigidity over lightness performance, and this is perceived immediately after you get to “ride” these poles (provided you have experience from round tubes in order to compare). Although rigid, stable and light, these poles experience a slight lateral movement while placing the pole on the ground, noticed at the area of the auto-lock binary. I have not found something negative, or problematic about that but I am just quoting it for the shake of completeness in this review.

The Flick-Lock works fantastic! I am Impressed. I have tried other brands while searching for poles and I can say that BD’s Flick-Locks had the best balance between firmness and ease of operation. You can easily operate these locks with gloves on, and they do not move a millimetre after a day long snow climb, pounded by the weight of the walker and its pack. I believe that the old problem of the “screw-lock” poles has been solved. That is to put all your weight on the pole, during a slip, and the pole to become shorter. The Flick-Lock includes a screw for adjusting the holding power of the lock. However, it was not necessary to increase the firmness up to now.

The Auto-Lock Binary is stable and very easy to operate (also with gloves on). It actually contributes to the simplicity of the pole, as you only have to select the length from the Flick-Lock and then just pull the end of the pole to open it to full length.

I was kind of suspicious for the tips at the beginning, due to the round metal tip. I believed that they will be slipping while trying to hook on rocky terrain… I was big time wrong. I have never experienced a slip although I tried hard to have one.

The low-profile trekking baskets perform nice in rocky alpine terrain moving through the rocks without being stuck somewhere.  However, if you want to move to a more leafy, forest traverse like, path surely you would benefit if equipped with larger baskets. The stock baskets definitely don’t want to have to do anything with snow. For this reason I got the BD 3/4 back-country baskets. The front circle of the basket …is missing enabling better clearance while  walking. I have used this configuration this winter and I was quite happy.  I have climbed steep sections of snowy slopes being provided with excellent support from my poles. The grips show their class in this terrain where length adjustments are frequent.

As a final comment… As I am a photography enthusiast I miss the monopode function of my previous poles. That is, you could unscrew the grips and attach your camera to the pole. This provides nice support to low-speed exposures, especially when climbing and being tired, plus you do not need to carry the extra weight of a monopode. If these poles had this functionality I would be simply in love with them.

However, I believe that this is a  superb set of poles, that will accompany you during your Sunday hikes and support you during long approaches and traverses.

Likes:

• …ALL

Dislikes:

• This is minor… the lateral movement around the Binary Lock

I Wish:

• They had the Monopode function for attaching my cameras

PS: Did I said that I like the Burnt Orange Colour?

Hanwag Approach GTX

Hanwag Approach GTX

As my previous pair of low mountain shoes proven faulty, I begun searching for a replacement. I have seen these pair of shoes last year at a retailer, so I paid a visit to check them out. I was so impressed that finally got them. Here’s the story and a short review of my first impressions.

Product Description (Web Site Information)

The approach model in the HANWAG ROCK-collection: lightweight, sturdy and absolutely suitable for rock scrambling to reach the wall base.

• Lightweight construction
• High friction zone at sole tip
• Special climbing last

Upper Material: Sportvelours (leather) and Cordura® Rocket. All upper DWR treated (Durable Water Repellent)

Elevated Brim: A hand-mounted rubber surrounding the lower part of the upper protects the leather in scree and rocks, highly increasing durability of the entire boot.

Lining: GORE-TEX®

Sole: Vibram® Cross with Shock Absorb (Lightweight sole featuring a tip with almost no profile and biting studs in the middle and heel section. Shock absorber and full length cushioning. Ideal for all activities demanding full foot control such as scrambling or easy climbs)

Usage Classification: B = firm foothold for trekking and hiking

Sizes: 6 – 13 , 3,5 – 9

Construction (Web Site Information)

Pinched Manufactured

HANWAG footwear is last constructed, i.e. the shaft is worked over the insole. This is a traditional, very complex manufacturing process, which involves a great deal of manual work. Yet, it is definitely worth the time and effort, as it provides the footwear with excellent stability and ensures a long-lasting great fit.

Also, all shoes can be easily resoled – a fact that is of particular relevance for durable boots with a great fit!

First Impressions and Fit

To be honest, I have not felt that happy with a pair of shoes that early again. The fit was very good, I was feeling surefooted while walking and hanging on the testing ramp. The only small problem I noticed was that the insoles were quite thin and as these shoes have stiff soles, they felt a bit hard on the front of my feet while walking. For this reason I am using a pair of Superfeet Blue insoles. (As I am late posting this review, I am currently using the shoes with the Superfeet Blue insoles and they work fine.)

Heel cage

I was also quite impressed with the fit of the heel cage. The heel cage locks to my heel as no other shoe that I have used so far.

The overall construction of the shoe is excellent. The upper leather is soft and embraces the foot, the lacing system is adaptive and the sole materials are very good.

Heel Cage and Impact Support

Vibram sole with climbing area at the front

The grooves of the soles are quite different from the normal mountain shoes. The grip is very good and the climbing zone in the front really provides sticky support. I have traversed narrow ledges on these shoes without a problem (nice side sole support), and also climbed easy boulders (in order to test the climbing zone of the shoes). Please bear in mind that these shoes are very nice all round approach shoes, but I believe that when climbing gets harder you will have to switch to your climbing shoes. At size 46 ( these shoes weight 640 g with the Superfeet Blue insoles and 600 g with the stock insoles. While not being the lightest I believe that would not be a problem to put them into the rucksack and climb.

Hanwag Approach upper

I have tested the shoes in snow as well and their performance was again very nice. As Alpine routes are normally mixed climbs I believe that the approach shoe should be performing well on both rock and snow.  Front pointing on these shoes was excellent. I almost forgot that I wear low approach shoes. Ok there were not as stiff as mountain boots but they were stable and stiff enough. Descending on the heals? No problems again! To my surprise they performed better than expected in conditions of frozen snow. Ok this is the time you put your crampons on, but generally they were more stable that other shoes in this type of conditions (such as Five Ten Camp Four’s for example).

Finally I performed the stream / cigarette test. I do this with all my new shoes in order to check the Gore-Tex lining and their insulation capacity. I step into a stream of water, I light a cigarette and I wait like this until I finish my smoke (approx 5 min). If there is something that is not working properly… it will show. The lining passed the test with flying colours. My feet were kind of cold but this could be attributed to the socks that I was wearing (thin shocks for Snowboard boots). I think that if I was wearing thicker mountaineering shocks it would be much better.

Overall, these are well constructed, excellent fit and support mountain shoes. I believe that they will accompany me for a long time on the mountains. I highly recommend them for people who are looking for a low summer to 3-season shoe. Just to note that these shoes are not comfortable for all day city use but they do well what they are intended for.

Likes:

• Fit
• Construction
• Materials
• Foot and ankle support
• can be resoled

Dislikes:

• Thin stock insole
• Extra cost for insoles
• Some could argue that they are pricey, but I believe that expected durability (judged from materials and construction) counterbalance this

Progressing into the new ride

Snow Pass Pre-la-Joux

Last weekend I was in Pre-la-Joux France. Nice days, a bit crowded. I am slowly progressing to snowboarding and I kinda like it. At the end of the day I managed to get linking turns and I was very pleased. I ridden also a steep section that counts for a red. The only black sheet of the day was that a lady, that could barely stand on her skis, had camped in the middle of my way… I got afraid, over-braked… lost control and landed on my shoulder after a spectacular aerial. Thank god the pain went off after 4 days and my arm functions as normal now (that afternoon I could hardly drive back home). But anyways… experience has been gained. On the other hand I am not so frustrated as the weather is a bit crappy, so the shoulder did not keep me from ridding on sunny days.

Concerning, Pre-la-Joux, it is a nice place offering a lot of green pistes (beware they are narrow a bit) , so it is a nice place for novices and families.

White Bright “light” rules the air, Mancuso controls the ground

Shaun White Rocks the Pipe (photo by www.dailymail.co.uk)

Snowboard Olympics

Mens US  Team has dominated so far the snowboard scene. Seth Wescott won the gold medal in Snowboard Cross followed by the Canadian Mike Robertson and the French Tony Ramoin. In mens Half Pipe the big air astronaut Shaun White blasted the track and the fans to oblivion…. Really, once again he was too good to be true!!! Hew was seconded by the Finn Piiroinen Peetu and followed by the Yank Lago Scott

In Women’s Snowboard Cross the Canadian Maelle Ricker won the gold medal, seconded by the French Deborah Anthonioz and followed by the Swiss Olivia Nobs. In Half Pipe [...which we did not see as there was Figure Skating (Bliax!!!) on TV] the gold medal goes to the Australian Torah Bright (… interesting!! goes well with White as a surname), seconded by the American Hanah Tetter and followed by the American Kelly Clark

Ski Olympics

Whomen’s Downhill and Super Combined… Now that was SUPER interesting… In a difficult track when the others were trying to put their feet together Lyndsey Vonn was flying low winning finally the gold medal. Maria Riesch after a speedy run lost balance in the final jump of the track and fell loosing her place in podium. In Super Combined the story was reversed… Lyndsey Vonn, racing after  Maria Riesch, lost balance and fell leaving Riech alone in the podium. Julia Mancuso comes back strong winning the silver medals in both (!!!) races

In mens downhill Didier Defago after a fantastic race wins the race leaving the other two places in Aksel Lund Svindal and Bode Miller. In Super G the deck is shuffled a bit with Aksel Lund Svindal flied to the first place, with 0.28 sec difference, leaving the second and third places for the Yanks Bode Miller and Andrew Weibrecht. Our favorite moment of the race the moment that the Italian Christof Innerhofer avoided falling with an acrobatic move finishing just +o.11 from Bode… Nice going man!!!

Garcia on Santa Cruz!!!

One of our Icon riders Cendric Garcia’s CG Racing Brigade will be racing this season with Santa Cruz bikes (… not so favorite… we are Yeti Heads if you remember). Good Luck this season!!!

The Season

We like the season!!! Favorite episode the one with Jonaven Moore. check weekly updates on Arcteryx website and here for past episodes.  Bonus! you can download the mp3′s if you like the season soundtrack

Arc’teryx Gloves Microsite

we like this microsite. Nice new opening for Arcteryx with interesting designs

Marmot Spring Website Update

Spring Update for Marmot website. The race for lighter holds well. New MemBrain Sawtooth with waterproof fabric

Animated Knots

We like this site with animated knots by Grog. From climbing to decorative to rope care.

The ABC of Snowboarding – Snowboarding Course

ABC of Snowboarding

Browsing through internet I found this interesting page that refers to the basics of a snowboarding course. I liked this because it covers the exercises that we went through with my instructor. It also has some cool animations. Check it out The ABC of Snowboarding. On the left of the page there is a Course Overview with links to all course topics.

It’s a new Dawn, It’s a new Day, It’s a new Ride for me

Rifugio Maison Vieille

Sunday was a special day for me. It was the day that I opened a door to a different kind of riding… and that’s simply great.

I woke up in Courmayeur, Italy. Crawled to the window and stared at the sunny peaks. Coffee and a smoke in the cold, and in to the car heading to the lifts. I must confess that I am not a fun of skiing centers (or organised slopes… call it how you like). When it comes to mountains I prefer to be alone, with my girl or a few good friends. But I had a mission…

Several months ago, I went down in the garage. And I met “Goldfish”… There is  habit around here. Before dumping your trash for the commune to collect them, you leave it on display at the garage. “Goldfish” is my board… now. Just passing the garage door I noticed a strange shape for a domestic garbage. It was a snowboard. I thought… “must be broken” and continued walking. But I was curious. So, I walked towards the board and picked it up. I could not see anything broken or wrong although my knowledge on snowboards is zip. Decided to put it in our shed and check it out. after some days I went to my local snob  shop and they said that it was an OK board. And from that moment… “Goldfish” became my board!.

Last year I had a dreadful experience with my first attempt to ski. My legs were refusing to stay in control and the pain was unbearable. Probably my rouge personality was denying the “comme il faut” alpine skiing culture!  I was though disappointed as this was a different ticket to the mountains that I love. But luck had a break on this. She brought in front of me this stray board… and from the moment we met… I had to ride her.

Back to the mission log. I left miss Path_Rider with our friends to ski (Btw Miss Path_Rider cant touch a board due to a knee injury… yes luck does not turn on your side all the time) and walked to the Instructor’s hut carrying ”Goldfish” along.  There, I met Giulia, my instructor to my first ride.  After a short introduction we run for the lift as I was a bit late…. (classic Greek advocating the previous night  that he will be on the spot at 8:00… finally 10 mins late…  disgrace!).  We finally reached the spot and the first thing that she tested was my stance (I am a goofy as correctly the guy in my local board shop diagnosed). She next showed me how to skate and slide… and then it was my turn. Right foot strapped on the binding, small push and slide!!! OK!!! after a while I was on the flat portion of the spot doing a toe side turn naturally (without understanding precisely what I was doing, i just wanted to turn hillside). I was good! excited! good! I heard Giulia from the background saying “… good, nice, nice!!” and that was it!!! My first slide (..I know that I sound silly but it rocked!!). Next 10 mins we were doing heelside and toeside sliding and braking. As toeside braking was a bit difficult I needed a break, so we went to the near Rifugio Maison Vieille. Among others in our brake chat I asked Giulia what was the peak above us… she replied with a natural simplicity… the Monte Bianco!!! Wow!! my first slide with the “goldfish” was right under the Mont Blanc massif!!! After the brake I almost managed to do a linking turn. We called it a day as the 2 hour lesson that I booked passed like no time. I goodbyed Giulia and head down.

I probably do not have the words to describe my first slide. One thing I can say is that I enjoyed that day! I really feel that it opened another door towards the mountains that I love so much. Now it is the tough time of practicing and waiting. Practicing and waiting to reach the level of the first big ride…

FAIL – The Sun’s article: “Shopping ‘as good as Hiking’”

The Sun's Shopping as good as hiking

OMG!!!! What a laugh !!! I do not want even loose my time explaining what they are missing.

The link to the “article” here

From what I understand she is primarily inspired by a press release by Debenhams ????

Thanks to HikerEnthusiast for pointing out this…. Thanks for the laugh mate

Book Presentation “Greece: Mountains Of The Gods”

Title: Greece –  The Mountains of the Gods

Title in Greek: ΕΛΛΑΣ – ΤΑ ΒΟΥΝΑ ΤΩΝ ΘΕΩΝ

Editor: Vangelis Efthymiou Resume

Text by Antonis Iordanoglou

Languages: Greek & English (Bilingual Publication)

Pages: 261

Published on 2007

Publisher: Fytrakis publications

Central Distribution: The Fytraki Bookstore, Stoa tou Vivliou , 5 Pesmatzoglou Str. Athens. Tel +30 210 3237 991

ISBN : 9605354942
ISBN 13 : 9789605354947

I got this book as a present from a friend last year. I believe that is one of the books that stand out from my collection for several reasons. For sure, one of the reasons is the photographic quality and imagination presented by the work of  Vangelis Efthymiou. Excerpt from the Preface of the book “The photographs in this book are part of an important artistic effort by Vangelis Efthymiou, which started in 1988. These are photographs of aspects of the Greek mountains from different targeting points, at different seasons of the years and times of day. Being apparently influenced by the photography encountered in documentaries or magazines like the National Geographic – with which he is professionally involved since 1988 – many of these photographs show the extend of his photographic skills.”

Another reason is that this book presents a side of Greece that is unknown to the general public, and that is the mountains of Greece. The icon of Greece, to the average person, presents an Island, deep blue seas and sunny cyan skies. Which is true….. Half – true though!!! Greece is also the third most mountainous country in Europe (the first is Switzerland and the second is Albania) in terms of mountain area over total area.

Greek mountains present to the visitor with a diverse environment, scenery, sporting level and enjoyment. There are Alpine areas in Greece (mostly in Epirous in NW), continental forest covered mountain areas, big rocky mountains (such as Agrafa in the center of Greece or “Sterea Hellas”) and big rock faces (excellent for rock climbing such as the famous rock faces of Kalymnos). However, the most characteristic scenery of Greek mountains is the fantastic sea views. Famous for that, is mount Pelion (in Thessaly, near the city of Volos) where on the one hand you have fantastic forest views and as soon as the path turns, you find yourself staring at the vastness of the Aegean Sea. Another good example is the views from the top of mount Olympus were you see the Aegean sea to the east and continental Greece to the west.

The book is organised in terms of geographical areas in presenting the Greek mountains and you can find pictures from a good amount of our mountains. The main chapters are the following:

• Mountain Mythology
• Olympus the great
• The mountains of Thessaly
• The mountains of Macedonia
• The mountains of Epirus
• The mountains of Sterea Hellas
• The mountains of Peloponnese

The book is good for giving you a good idea on what to expect from the area that you want to visit but you will need extra info in order to plan a hike or an expedition. The best way to do this is to join a hike or weekend hike organized by a local club. I can recommend POA (Pezoporikos Omilos Athinon – Mountaineering & Climbing Club) which I joined several of their hikes and I had a nice and interesting time on the mountains. I will give their details at the end of the article because their website (here) is unfortunately only in Greek (… however if you call or visit them most of the members speak English)

The final reason that this book is one of my favorites is because it presents also the mythology associated with Greek mountains by area. For example mount Olympos under Greek mythology is the home of the 12 gods and mount Pelion is the home of the famous Centaur (half man half horse) Chiron (son of Cronus and Philira). This cultural angle associated with the dramatic scenery presents to the reader a stunning effect. After all, Greece is the land of mythology and philosophy and the idea of marrying the scenery with the culture, I think that, is pioneering.

Below some photo samples from the book. Lo-Fi for obvious reasons

Mount Rodopi, Frakto region

Mount Olympus, Prophet Elias peak

Mount Olympus, Ennipeas Gorge

Mount Olympus Mytikas Peak

Mount Falakro, Nestos River

As a final word…. this book comes out of my library one time per month, for viewing, enjoyment and motivation. This, along with “Voyages dans les Alpes” (will be presented in this column in the future, publications Chene) I consider them as the jewels of my library.

I promised earlier to give the details of POA:

Π.Ο.Α. (P.O.A.), Zaimi 45, 10682 Athens, Greece, Tel: +30 210 8218401, contact/visiting hours 19:00 – 21:00

POA est. in 1949 is one of the oldest mountaineering clubs in Greece and it is a member of E.O.O.A. (Hellenic Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing) and Σ.Ο.Ε. (Hellenic Federation of Speleology).  They organise activities in most mountain sports (Mountaineering, Climbing,  Hiking, Speleology, Mountain Biking, Canyoning) As they are among the pioneers of canyoning in Greece it is worthwhile contacting them if you are interested to discover Greek Canyons and Gorges.  Participation in the events is open to non-members provided that you are fit for the difficulty level of each excursion.

Matterhorn… my Icon for a Swiss Mountain

View of Matterhorn from Zermatt

There is not a question in my mind that the Matterhorn is the most Iconic Swiss Mountain. Every time that I visit Zermatt, or the nearby slopes I always take a picture of Matterhorn. Previous weekend it was kind of cold in Zermatt (-7 deg Celsius)

Matterhorn info here (from Wikipedia)

Matterhorn

Sticky Zipper Repair & Core Jacket Short Review

Mammut Core Jacket Zipp

During the summer, I found a bargain softshell jacket that I liked ever since it was out. It was a Mammut Core jacket. I got it with a big reduction from a German online dealer (Original Price 599 CHF). Everything was great about the jacket, except from the pocket zippers (probably from long stock ing time as this is a 2005 model). The zippers were sticky and the reinforcements around them created a problem in the operation. So this is how I resolved the problem.

Last time I re-proofed an old hardshell jacket, I noticed that the silicon did wonders to the zippers as well. So the strategy was obvious. Got a bit of Nikwax TX.DIRECT Spray-on and applied it to the zippers with the help of a cotton bud. Now the zippers work as new.

Mammut Core Jacket

This is by far may favorite winter soft shell jacket.  Breaths nicely (I am on the sweaty side and this jacket works well), it is waetherproof (snow, rain, wind), stretchy and goes all the way down passing the hips.  The fabric comes from my favorite fabric manufacturer which is a Swiss company called Shoeller.  I have no complaint using their fabrics as they breath very well, are very strong – resisting abrasion and have a fantastic feel to the skin. I think that Shoeller fabrics beat GORE-Tex fabrics easily. The specs of the jacket below (from Draussen.de website):

Technology and maximum climate comfort are behind this development with the schoeller® fabric. A unique combination of schoeller fabrics makes the Core Jacket exceptionally reponsive to changes in body temperature.

Very good, climate regulating properties make it indispensable for mountain climbing, ski touring and ice climbing, as well as for everyday use.

Features:

Ultra Sonic Technology

Water, wind and dirt resistant

M.A.P. hood

2 side pockets with zip

Adjustable hem-width

2-way front zip

Chin protection

Fabric:

schoeller®dryskin extreme Nano-Sphere®Soft Shell

schoeller®-WB-400 Nano-Sphere®

Weight: 662 gr. (M)

My measurement for the XL size is 780 g.

Picture from Draussen.de

Mammut Core Jcket

That’s why I am in Love with mountains

I do not have much to say… I will leave the picture to speak on its own.  Most of times, God is an ingenious artist!

 

Snowy Foggy Dent de Jaman

 

 

DIY Camera Mount for Handlebar

I have been thinking to get a POV (Point Of View) camera for my bike. While browsing on the net I found several posts indicating various DIY solutions for a camera mount for bikes. I decided to give ot a try just before spending money on a “professional” solution.

The KIT

The kit (big laughs) comprises of  a taillight ring (not shown gere but it is a standard Cateye ring), a screw and a butterfly. The cost was very low… so low that i cannot remember.

I used my normal camera which is a Lumix DMC – FZ8  and it was mounted on the handlebar of my full suspension mountain bike which is a Yeti 575.

The Output

I shot several videos and I will post the most representative examples of the output of this project.

.

.

.

The first example displays the outcome of riding on the road.

The second example displays the outcome of riding gravel and dirt.

The third example displays the outcome of riding a lakeside singletrack.

As you see the output is poor and there are two annoying features in all shots.

• The mount on the handlebar is not ideal. As I adjust the course of the bike while riding, the shot moves along . We should have in mind also that this bike has a short stem (50mm) which increases the steering input to the shot.
• A lot of vibration is transfered to the shot, due to the fact that the cameras contact poit is a long screw, which does not absorbes any of the riding vibration

So, I am calling this experiment / project a failure. Stay tunes as I will present the specs and examples of all POV cameras during my selection process. Abiento!

Tour de la Dent de Jaman

View of Lac Lemans at the base of Dent de Jaman

On Saturday, went to the Col de Jamal. The weather was cool and wonderful, so we jumped the opportunity of touring the Dent de Jaman and grab the astonishing views.

Access: there are two ways to visit Col de Jaman (which overlooks Montreux).

• By Car: Exit the highway at the Montreux exit, and then follow the direction towards Les Avants. After that follow the signs for the Col de Jaman. It is roughly 11.5 km from Montreux. Be careful because the road after Les Avents is thin and steep at some sections. So be prepared to give way to descending cars. I do not believe that this road is easy to drive in winter and early spring (except 4×4 cars). You can park at the available free parking lot, but beware; if it is Sunday and the weather is good then there is a good chance that the place will be overcrowded. So… the earlier the better.
• By Train: From the Montreux station you can get the train Montreux – Rochers de Naye (http://www.sbb.ch/en/) for info and fares) to Jaman (45 mins). By this you will arrive at the station which is near the base of the Dent de Jaman, in the middle of the hike.
• By Bike: For the daring ones… follow the car itinerary by bike. I have seen a lot of people doing it but it is quite an uphill. Otherwise you can take the train to Jaman, arrive at the Buvette de Jaman (nice little chalet), and ride towards the beginning of the route.  The beginning of  route is signposted and easy to follow after

The Route: The route begins at the entrance of the parking lot of right after a small restaurant called “le Manoire”.  You see a building (having the restaurant on your left shoulder) and you head around it. The path tat the beginning is more of a dirt road. You follow that dirt road, passing through a woody area. Soon, you turn right and you see the path following a “snake” uphill pattern (see photo). The path is sporadically signposted with yellow singes (mainly at the turns).

You begin the ascent that will eventually bring you to the base of the Dent de Jaman. Following this route you will pass under the cables of a ski lift. Continue uphill and the next landmark is the Cabane de Lhautaudon on your right. On your left you can see the Dent de Hautaudon (1871 m).  After a while you ‘ll find the “Chalet Mont. d’Amont” (1651 m).  Forward and left you can now see the Rochers de Naye (2042 m). At this point, if you are lucky you could see group of mountaineers climbing the Dent de Hautaudon. You continue uphill and you reach a point where the route turns right, towards to the Gare de Jaman and the final section of the uphill. At this spot there is a sign that refers to the local Via Ferrata. Info for the ferratisas here (in French only).  So continue to the left of the sign, walking on a dirt road. At the end of it you will reach the Jaman train station. Pass the railway rails and you will find the lovely “Buvette de Jaman”. If you want you can stop here for a cup of coffee or a small  snack. The view is very nice an the proprietors are very friendly. Continue to the left to reach the base of the Dent de Jaman. Photos are necessary here!!! The base of the dent has a panoramic view of the lake Lemans as well as the the small valley that you just crossed.  Up to here you should have walked up to 1h or 1 1/4 h.

Dent de Jaman (1875m)

As we are describing the tour of this dent, we continue to the right (right shoulder to the Dent peak). We pass a small iron door, and we begin a decent – traverse for about 500m in a small path having the dent on our back. Caution! If previous days were rainy then the path here could be slipery, due to mud accumulation in the soles of the shoes. There is alot of vegetation on the slope so a fall should not be dangerous, but be cautious. After all we do this for fun!  At the end of the traverse you find a yellow sign indicating that that in order to return to the Col de Jaman you need to turn right and follow a broad path (road).  You should have the dent on your right. You should reach the Col de Jaman in about 40 minutes, while enjoying the views of the Lac Lemans.

Total hike time: About 2 – 2.5h depending on your physical condition and your mood!!! I often walk below my top pace in order to enjoy the views, feel the nature and take pictures. But this is not always advisable, particullary to long and/or demanding routes.

Mountain Biking: This is a nice place to ride your mountain bike. I do not recommend the full tour, as you will have to carry your mountain bike for the 500m traverse that starts at the base of the Dent.  You can start at the Col de Jaman and ride to the Buvette de Jaman and back, or you could go by train and downhill towards the Col. Around the Col there are a lot of riding places for you to explore. I would categorize these rides under the Cross Country rides and I believe that a hard tail mtb will be sufficient. I will write another post when I ride the area… so until then… a prochaine!

Nice Never Won a Thing

My favorite football player has made one of my favorite tv commercials.

Check it out on YouTube.

This applies to all, not only riding. Push on!

Sunday Lakeside Stroll

So following my Sunday tweet… we woke up late! Given the conditions we decided to go for a stroll at the lakeside. Starting point was Ouchy and we called it a day at Saint Sulpice.  The direction to take is the lakeside pathway towards West (Geneve) and as it is very difficult to get lost I will not give any further directions. The stroll’s duration is 1 to 1 1/4 hours one way.  You can view the photo story on flickr.com.

Why we like the Sunday lakeside stroll?

Well it is a cool alternative to take the exercise and connect to the countryside when the weather is not so good. At this time of the year, if you take the stroll with overcast (and not only) the lake offers some spectacular views. Also, in autumn the lakeside is not overcrowded, as it is in the summer. Which actually means that you can enjoy it more, along with the “full year” regulars. You will enjoy the scenery and the tranquility more while there is a hidden BONUS!  If you organise it a little (i.e. 1 hour before!!!) you can have a barbecue space available with no sweat (…. come on!! we said that! I am in my late 30′s). If you call your friends and visit the Coop pronto or the Migros @ Ouchy (both open daily up to 22:00 and they have disposable BBQs), then you’ll spend your whole day or afternoon outside. Nice for kids and parents as well.

Enough marketing. Sunday lakeside stroll in autumn, with or without the “reception” (BBQ) ROCKS!!!!!

Another favorite variation is to do the above on bikes!!! Leave these carbon emitting tin cans  at home dot com.

Kona Cinder Cone

In the first two posts, in biking category, I will introduce my bikes.

In chronological order this bike was bought in September 2007.

The Cinder Cone is my XC (Cross-country) bike, and in general the work horse of my roster. Apart from mountain endeavors, the Cinder Cone accompanies me in most of my weekly training and in city missions….. such as the beloved to all of us…. supermarket (FUNtastic).

With this bike I rediscovered biking after an absence of many many years. This bike followed me to my first “new era” epic ride. It was a 45km ride around Kantili mountain (Evia / Greece).

Finally (….it happened to me), with this bike I was seasoned to XC mountain biking  and discovered my needs for something more playful (i.e a full suspension machine for Trail and All Mountain riding).

Bike Specks

Frame tubing: Kona All-Mountain Butted Aluminum

Fork: Marzocchi MZ Race – 100mm Travel, lockout

Headset: TH

Crankarms: FSA Alpha Drive Powerdrive

Chainrings: 44/32/22

Bottom Bracket: FSA Powerdrive

Pedals: Wellgo LU-A9 w/Toe clips and straps

Chain: Shimano CN-HG53

Freewheel: Shimano Deore (11-32t, 9speed)

Front Derailleur: Shimano Deore

Rear Derailleur: Shimano Deore LX

Shifters: Shimano Deore

Handlebar: Kona Riser

Stem: Kona Control

Grips: Kona Mooseknuckle

Brakes: Hayes Hydraulic Sole

Brake Levers: Hayes Sole

Front hub: King Kong KDF2S

Rear hub: Shimano FH-M475 disc

Spokes: Stainless 14g fr/14g rr

Tires: Maxxis IGNITOR 26×2.1

Rims: Sun Black Eye

Saddle: WTB Pure V SPORT

Seat post: Kona Thumb

Seat clamp: Kona QR

Full Specs and Geometry in Kona UK website

Upgrades to the original spec

As a first ride the Cinder Cone was nice. However, as I was pushing my riding to more aggressive levels I needed to do something about cockpit rigidityand transmission rigidity and swiftness. The road to upgrade the bike was inevitable. Below the components of the upgrade.

Upgraded Components

Saddle: Selle Italia Flite (actually the original was terribly bent in a minor accident)

Handlebars: Race Face Atlas AM Riser

Stem: Thomson Elite X4

Crankset: Shimano XT

Rear Derailleur: Shimano XT

Cassette: Shimano XT

Chain: Shimano XT

Pedals: DMR V12 Magnesium

After the upgrade I experienced the following:

• a significant boost on my riding efficiency, coming from the rigid cockpit (especially when riding uphill while placing my weight over the handlebrs)
• increased maneuverability due to the faster transmission system

Future Upgrades

• Fork …as I am on the heavy side (poor MZ … it had it with me)
• Brakes …as Hays Sole hasn’t a descent stooping power and needs constant adjustment
• Wheel set… actually this is not 100% necessary because the performance of the stock wheels are somewhat acceptable. But if you change all the above then you need to change the wheels as well in order for all the bike parts to be aligned in terms of quality and performance capacity

What I like About this bike?

• The Frame… Very Very Much. Geometry is fantastic an allows you to ride passively and aggressively, either uphill or down hill. It is not the stiffest frame in the rear triangle ….above average thought. The frame is very reinforced at the front and in the bottom bracket area ( 5 points for KONA) allowing for serious abuse. Kona characterizes this frame as Backcountry / All Mountain, and I believe that they mean what they say. In discussing with various riders and dealers they all converge to the opinion that Kona makes their frame a bit tougher than they state.
• Price to quality ratio for the market proposition is very good. OK it is not a racer’s bike but is a very good all rounder, making it perfect for a first MTB or covering the XC place in your roster.

Path Rider’s Thesis: Recommended – 4 Star bike (performance above expectations).